Ask RiotACT

Ask RiotACT: Why is there no pub poker in ACT?

I have noticed that the ACT is the only state/territory in Australia that doesn’t allow pub poker and I was wondering why?

I have asked around and got told that the reason there was no pub poker in the ACT was because of the old casino.

Apparently there was an agreement between the casino and the clubs that the casino would not have poker machines if the clubs did not have “casino games” such as poker.

This seemed fair enough, but now the new casino has poker machines so whats stopping the clubs having pub poker?

Does anyone know if this is the real reason or what the real reason may be?

The clubs are complaining that they will lose revenue from the casino having poker machines so why are they not trying to regain some by introducing pub poker tournaments?

While I have played the pub poker in Queanbeyan for 10 years and love it, it would be great if I didnt have to make the trek over the border to play it.

I would have thought the casino would be keen to allow low cost poker tournaments in clubs to use as a breeding ground for their own poker tournaments and cash games – as the casino would be the only place you can play a cash game.

If anyone can shed some light on this (an informed opinion) I would appreciate it.

I see that Canberra or CBR as it likes to be called now, is advertising itself as a progressive town that people will want to be in and yet we are years behind all the other states and territories when it comes to offering entertainment options like this?

The ACT has a long-established ‘community gaming model’ in which legislation permits poker machines only for not-for-profit use. According to a Canberra Times report in 2015, the ACT’s licensed clubs The clubs received $95.8 million in net revenue from gaming machines in twelve months, with $12.7 million donated to community programs and sport. The ACT’s licensed clubs are, in theory, ‘not-for-profit’.

I believe the OP is asking about ‘pub poker’ not ‘poker machines’.

Pub poker is a relatively low stake card tournament with little very little, if any at all, profit to the club/pub from the tournament. The benefit to the club is the additional patrons it attracts.

I was definitely not defending the ACT arrangement — just reporting on what I understood to be the policy. Many licensed clubs are now ‘big business’ and need to keep looking for allowable things to do with their profits; these often include major extensions and renovations to their venues. Overall, the clubs’ contribution to community programs and sport is relatively small, especially considering the harms of gambling addiction. I also recall a regulatory impact analysis done some years ago that found that using poker machine revenue to finance community programs & sport was a relatively inefficient way to go about providing that funding.

The ACT has a long-established ‘community gaming model’ in which legislation permits poker machines only for not-for-profit use. According to a Canberra Times report in 2015, the ACT’s licensed clubs The clubs received $95.8 million in net revenue from gaming machines in twelve months, with $12.7 million donated to community programs and sport. The ACT’s licensed clubs are, in theory, ‘not-for-profit’.

Does “community programs and sport” include, in the case of Labor Clubs, donations to ACT Labor ???

With the huge sponsorship deal with the Brumbies now looking to be in peril, don’t be surprised to see the Labor clubs step up.
I can see no better way to apply the proceeds of the poker machines they will sell to the casino.
You know, those poker machines that Ms. Burch said 12 months ago would never be allowed in the casino.

The ACT has a long-established ‘community gaming model’ in which legislation permits poker machines only for not-for-profit use. According to a Canberra Times report in 2015, the ACT’s licensed clubs The clubs received $95.8 million in net revenue from gaming machines in twelve months, with $12.7 million donated to community programs and sport. The ACT’s licensed clubs are, in theory, ‘not-for-profit’.

Does “community programs and sport” include, in the case of Labor Clubs, donations to ACT Labor ???

The ACT has a long-established ‘community gaming model’ in which legislation permits poker machines only for not-for-profit use. According to a Canberra Times report in 2015, the ACT’s licensed clubs The clubs received $95.8 million in net revenue from gaming machines in twelve months, with $12.7 million donated to community programs and sport. The ACT’s licensed clubs are, in theory, ‘not-for-profit’.